The meaning of Pirathon; Pirathonite in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
pir'-a-thon, pir'-a-thon-it (pir'athon, pir'athoni; Codex Vaticanus Pharathom; Codex Alexandrinus Phraathom, Pharathuneites): The home of Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite (Judges 12:13 ff. the King James Version), where also he was buried, "in the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites." The latter name may have clung to a district which at some former time had been held by the Amalekites. From this town also came Benaiah, one of David's chief captains (II Samuel 23:30; I Chronicles 11:31; I Chronicles 27:14). It is probably to be identified with Fer'ata, about 6 miles Southwest of Nablus. A possible rival is Fir'on, 15 miles West of Nablus. G.A. Smith suggests a position at the head of Wady Far'ah (HGHL, 355). Moore thinks it may have been in Benjamin, Abdon being a Benjamite family (I Chronicles 8:23, I Chronicles 8:30; I Chronicles 9:36). It is just possible that the place may be identical with Pharathon, one of the towns fortified by Bacchides (1 Macc 9:50).
W. Ewing
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